Moodus Reservoir is a reservoir in Connecticut, near Lower Connecticut River Valley County.
Moodus Reservoir covers 486 acres in the Lower Connecticut River Valley region. The verified maximum depth at Moodus Reservoir is 10 feet.
Moodus Reservoir is a 486-acre, two-part impoundment centered on largemouth bass, crappie, perch, pickerel and other warmwater fish. Its 10-foot maximum makes small changes in cover and depth unusually important.
Upper and Lower Moodus provide two connected sections rather than one uniform bowl. Vegetation, the connecting route, inflowing water and the old channel supply the best repeatable edges.
Connecticut manages Moodus as a Bass Management Lake with a protected size slot. The structure of that rule reflects an effort to maintain a quality bass population rather than treating every bass the same.
Fish reported from Moodus Reservoir include alewife, american eel, banded killifish, banded sunfish, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, channel catfish, common carp, eastern creek chubsucker, golden shiner, largemouth bass, longear sunfish, redbreast sunfish, smallmouth bass, tessellated darter, white catfish, white perch, white sucker, and yellow perch.
Largemouth bass in Moodus Reservoir can be searched with a spinnerbait before a Texas-rigged worm is worked through the best cover. Smallmouth at Moodus Reservoir are better matched with tubes, grubs and crayfish-colored crankbaits on rock or clean points.
Crappie anglers on Moodus Reservoir should count the jig down beside brush until the holding depth becomes clear. A small float, light line and a piece of worm are enough for Moodus Reservoir bluegill around cover. Perch anglers on Moodus Reservoir should stay mobile until several bites come from the same depth.
Chain pickerel in Moodus Reservoir can be found with spoons, spinnerbaits and small swimbaits along vegetation.
For Moodus Reservoir channel cats, place cut bait or a nightcrawler along the creek channel and give the bait time to work. Brown bullheads in Moodus Reservoir are best approached with a worm or small piece of cut bait on bottom. Common carp in Moodus Reservoir can be targeted with corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig.
Moodus Reservoir is shallow enough for wind, vegetation and a small depression to change the bite quickly. Clean edges are more useful than featureless water. A quiet presentation becomes especially valuable after bright sun reaches most of the bottom.
Early spring on Moodus Reservoir calls for a slow presentation near the first break outside protected water. At midday in summer, Moodus Reservoir anglers should slow down beside shade, weeds or a nearby depth change. Fall on Moodus Reservoir is a good time for small crankbaits and swimbaits around moving forage.
Use a spinnerbait to cover the outer vegetation, then pitch a compact jig or Texas rig into the best holes. For crappie, suspend a small jig beside wood. In midsummer, the old channel can matter even though it is only slightly deeper than nearby flats.
A medium spinning rod with 8- to 10-pound line handles jigs, small crankbaits and live-bait rigs on Moodus Reservoir. A medium-heavy rod with 12- to 15-pound line covers bass jigs and bottom rigs at Moodus Reservoir.
The connected basins can differ in vegetation, water color and depth even on the same day.
The entire reservoir is shallow, so modest depth changes provide a meaningful travel route and refuge.
Connecticut uses a protected size slot there to support the structure of the bass population.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.